Transfer boom assemblies for transferring workpieces between work and/or assembly stations, in a manufacturing environment such as an automobile manufacturing and assembly facility are well known. One such assembly is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,650,234 issued on Mar. 17, 1987.
This type of boom assembly incorporates a plurality of work transfer devices usually supported in spaced relation along a boom disposed in the manufacturing facility, and which transfer devices are adapted to transfer workpieces to and from work and/or assembly stations in said facility.
As is well known, in the automotive field it is common to change design of the automobile periodically, usually on an annual basis. When this occurs, it is often required that the work stations, at which the various components of the newly designed automobile are manufactured, be modified to manufacture newly designed components. This also usually requires that the workpiece transfer devices, such as the transfer boom assembly, be correspondingly modified to accommodate the transfer of newly designed components in the manufacturing facility.
The quick disconnect device or unit of the present invention is especially designed for use with a transfer boom assembly as is disclosed in said U.S. Pat. No. 4,650,234, and enables one or more of the workpiece transfer mechanisms of said boom assembly to be rapidly and easily connected and/or disconnected to and from said assembly, and to thus enable the workpiece transfer mechanism to be correspondingly easily and rapidly selected and positioned on said assembly to accommodate design changes that have been incorporated into the product utilizing said boom assembly in its manufacture.